Hero All This Time
by MisfitCarter
Summary: Eddie has been Peter's best friend since they were three. After a run in with the Amazing Spider-Man in a dark alley in the rain, it all comes together and Eddie figures out Peter's secret when he comes home after a long night at 'work'.


I walked down the street, intent on making my way back to the apartment I shared with Harry and Peter. It was late and I needed to get home as I had to work early in the morning. However, just as I was walking down the main road, thunder rumbled across the sky and lightning struck with a vengeance before the rain came pouring down in buckets.

I stood there for a second and sighed heavily. "Great," I mumbled. "Fucking great!" I screamed to the heavens.

I looked around, hoping to find a quick, alternate route home. My hazels eyes then landed on an alley that would take me to main street. I thanked whatever higher power was on my side before looking both ways.

I quickly crossed the street, my heeled boots splashing the water around me. Once I made it to the entrance of the alley, I soon came to regret my decision as I noticed someone following me.

I stopped and hurriedly took my boots off. My sock clad feet were cold, but I knew that I couldn't run in my heels. I was thankful that I had decided on wearing my black leggings and grey cotton pull over. I could run, or, if it came down to it, fight.

I kept a quick pace as I walked down the alley. I knew that I was still being followed. But this time, I heard at least three more pairs of footsteps.

'Just my luck', I thought to myself. However, as I was lost in my thoughts, and only thinking of the four people behind me, I didn't notice two more jump out in front of me until they had me pinned in a corner.

The men were all dressed in black and looked like scum. Dirty faces and perverse thoughts and intentions hidden in their eyes.

They began making crude remarks to me and whistling. Some asking for a warm bed tonight, while the rest just roamed my body with their eyes.

I just rolled my eyes before dropping my boots onto the wet blacktop, my coat following after. By now, I was soaked to the bone, but didn't care. I was not going to let these men harass me. I knew how to throw a men punch, and I was going to defend myself. I wasn't going to be like everyone else and depend on New York's finest, or even Spider-Man.

"Oh, looks like she's an easy one," one of them said with a smirk. I simply stood and waited for him to step forward. Just as he touched a lock of my deep, brown hair, I reeled back and delivered a right hook directly to his temple, quickly knocking him out.

His buddies, looking shocked at first, grew angry and came at me all at once. By now, I was panicking. I could fight off maybe two at the most. But not five.

Just as they were about to grab me, I heard something before the five men were pulled away from me. I watched as Spider-Man single handedly knocked out each one of the men. He then shot out a web and disappeared over the rooftops.

I stood there, stunned for a moment, before grabbing my belongings. Just as I stood up from picking up my things, I jumped back, startled as Spider-Man was holding onto the wall in front of me.

"Sorry," he said. I could hear the chuckle in his voice, but said nothing as I looked at the amazing man in front of me.

"Thank you," I said after a moment of silence. He nodded, but said nothing as he watched me put my, now wet, coat back on.

Finally, he spoke. "You should be more careful," he said in a stern voice. He then looked over the man I knocked out with one punch before looking back at me and saying, "Nice right hook, by the way."

I smiled at the compliment before saying, "Well, you took care of the rest. You really are amazing in my book."

"You'd be one of the only one's to think that," he said in a sad voice. "Most people have come to hate me."

I frowned. "Well," I started. "People are stupid. You are amazing and they have no right to hate you because all you've done is help them. If they hate you just because of this ass hole, Green Goblin, then they're all idiots."

I could make out a faint smile through his mask and smiled myself. "Well, thank you," he said in a sincere voice.

"Thank you," I said. "I would've raped or killed if it weren't for you."

I then leaned up on my tip toes and placed a gentle, and unhesitant kiss on his lips through the mask that covered and hid his face from the world. I then picked up my boots, and left the amazing Spider-Man behind me as I finished making my way home.

When I walked into the apartment, Harry looked up from the papers he was working on and frowned. "Eddie, if it was raining, you should've called me!" he scolded. He then got up from the table and made his way over to me.

He took my drenched coat and hung it up to dry. He then threw my boots in the corner before leading me to the bathroom. He grabbed two towels from the cupboard and turned on the shower.

"Take a hot shower and put some dry clothes on before you catch a cold. Pete would kill you," he said in a stern voice.

"Where is Peter?" I asked as my teeth began to chatter and my body began to shiver.

Harry walked out of the bathroom while saying, "I have no idea."

After taking a hot shower and putting on some dry clothes, I made my way into the kitchen. I made a cup of hot tea and sat down in the living room. Harry had long since retired to bed, and as far as I knew, Pater had not yet returned.

I sat my cup of tea on the table next to me before flipping on the television. I watched the news and fell asleep, curled up in the chair.

A few hours later, I awoke to the sound of someone in the kitchen. I heard the fridge open and close, indicating that someone was awake.

I peeked one eye open and caught a flash a red and blue. My sleepy brain suddenly became alert at those two colors as the only person I've ever seen in red and blue was Spider-Man.

I kept my eyes open enough to see the mask of Spider-Man held in his hand. I then opened my eyes completely and sat up quickly. Spider-Man turned around just as I sat up, and what I saw, shocked me.

My hazel eyes locked onto the familiar blue eyes of my best friend, and the guy that I've been in love with since I was six. "Peter?" I asked in a stunned voice as I stood up off of the chair.

His eyes were wide and he had dropped the can of pop that he had in his hand. "Eddie," he choked out. He tried to speak again, but he floundered with his words and couldn't form a single sentence.

I just shook my head. Tears brimming in my eyes. "You didn't tell me," I said in a hurt voice. "I've been your best friend for thirteen years Peter. Since we were three. And you hid something like this from me? Do you not trust me?"

By now, I was full blown crying. Peter took a step toward me, but I stopped him by taking a step back. "I couldn't tell you," he whispered. "I trust you with my life, Eddie. But if someone found out that I was Spider-Man, they would come after you. And I couldn't have you getting hurt," he said as he tried once again to step closer to me.

Once again, I stepped back. "I can't believe that," I stopped short as I couldn't finish my sentence. The tears were now ripping through my body with quiet sobs. Just as I was about to sink to my knees, Peter grabbed me and held me to his chest.

I struggled to get away from him, but gave up as I knew that I couldn't. "All those times, that was you that saved me," I cried.

**_It was the annual OSCORP Unity Day Festival. I was dressed in a black, Japanese kimono top with a pair of black leggings and tan sandals. My dark, brown hair was up in a messy bun and I had minimal eyeliner rimming my bright, hazel eyes. A camera hung around my neck as I was helping Peter with taking pictures._**

**_I stood on the balcony overlooking all of the people and the giant balloons that were floating in the sky._**

**_Harry and Mary-Jane were talking, but I paid them no mind as I began taking pictures of the people and decorations around and below me._**

**_Just then, the happiness and festivities were interrupted by the sight of a man in a costume on a glider. He flew around, before turning back. Everyone cheered, but began panicking when he came back._**

**_A loud cackle came from his throat before he threw, what appeared to be a bomb, at the balcony. The floor shook, and before I knew it, I was on the ledge that was about to fall._**

**_"Eddie!" Mary-Jane and Harry yelled, trying to reach me. However, Harry was knocked out by a rather large rock, and Mary-Jane became preoccupied with trying to wake him up._**

**_My eyes grew wide in fear, but I didn't scream. Suddenly, the balcony end fell, and I went with it._**

**_As the wind rushed past me, I closed my eyes. At least my death would be quick and painless._**

**_But, I never hit the ground._**

**_I opened my eyes to see that I was in the main square or New York, in Spider-Man's arms. But the only person on my mind at that moment was Peter._**

**_Spider-Man then landed and I noticed that we were in the heart of the city on top of the Garden Center. "Thank you, Spider-Man," I said with a smile._**

**_"It's what I'm here for," he replied. He then jumped off the side of the building before swinging around the city and going to help the next person that needed it._**

**_It was Thanksgiving, and I was visiting a friend of mine. "So, how's your love life?" Julie asked over a mug of hot tea._**

**_I laughed before replying, "What love life?"_**

**_We both shared a laughed before talking about her new boyfriend. His name was Tom and he was on the Police Force. However, our talking was interrupted when her door burst open._**

**_We looked at the doorway to see flames licking at the woodwork. "Oh my God!" she yelled in fear. "Eddie," she whimpered._**

**_I simply looked around her apartment for a fire extinguisher. After finding it under her kitchen sink, I handed her my jacket. "Put this over your head, and cover your mouth and nose with the sleeve."_**

**_She nodded and did as I told her. I walked over to the doorway, and tried to keep the flames at bay for as long as I could before the fire department could get here. However, the flames began to over power my attempt and became too much._**

**_Her ceiling and floor started to become ablaze, and I found myself trapped. "Julie!" I yelled. A beam in front of me fell, and landed an inch from me._**

**_I heard voices and someone crying, but couldn't make anything out as the smoke began to cloud my vision and the flames continued to grow. "Julie!" I managed to cough out._**

**_The smoke was beginning to cloud my vision entirely and it was becoming harder to breath. The flames were licking at my skin, but not burning me. I began to sweat and fear was bubbling near the surface of my emotions._**

**_Suddenly, a widow shattered. From the heat of the flames, or the fire fighters, I don't know. "Julie!" I yelled again._**

**_I turned around and came face to chest with the one and only, Spider-Man. "C'mon," he yelled over the roar of the flames. I tried to struggle against him, but the smoke inhalation had gotten to me, and I felt weak._**

**_He grabbed me under my knees, and held me bridal style as he made it to the window. "Do you think you can hold on?" he asked in a gentle voice. I nodded and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. He then held me tightly and securely around my waist before getting us out of the burning building._**

**_Once we mead it to the ground, my arms and legs gave out. He once again held me bridal style as he handed me over to the paramedics. Julie came over to check on me, and I was glad to see that she was okay._**

**_Just as Spider-Man was about to go back into the building, I grabbed his hand. He turned around and looked at me. "Thank you," I managed to choke out._**

**_He rubbed his thumb over my knuckles comfortingly before going back into the building._**

"All this time," I whispered, while Peter held me. "Every time Spider-Man saved me, the only person that popped into my head, was you, Peter," I said as I looked at him. "And it turns out, that one person that I thought of most, was the one saving me."

Peter just kept his arms around me as he looked at me with his bright, blue eyes that I love so much. "I'm so sorry, Eddie," he said. "But did you ever once wonder why Spider-Man always made an effort to save you?" he asked.

"I just always thought that he had a superhero crush on me," I laughed. Peter laughed as well, but shook his head.

"I always made an effort to save you because I love you, Eddie. Not just because you're my best friend. I love you Eddie. That's why I always made an effort to save you," he said.

I looked at Peter, my hazel eyes wide. "You, love me?" I asked. He nodded and that was all it took for me to wrap my arms around his shoulders, and kiss him with ever bit of love and passion I had.

Peter kissed back and held me tightly around my waist. The kiss was gentle, yet passionate. It was full of love and need and want.

Finally, air became an issue, so we pulled apart. Peter leaned his forehead against mine and we both smiled. "I love you too, Peter," I said in a breathy whisper. "You always have been, and always will be, my hero."


End file.
